Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease among U.S. children and among the most preventable. Yet, dental care is less accessible to those eligible for HUSKY, Connecticut’s Medicaid program for low-income children, than other medical care. To combat this trend, Connecticut Health Foundation launched an initiative to improve the oral health of children covered by Medicaid. By encouraging a coordinated delivery system at the state and local level in the eight largest urban areas, the foundation hopes to increase use of dental health services among HUSKY children by 100 percent over the next five years. A report by the Pew Center on the States gave Connecticut an “A” for improving children’s dental health over the last 10 years and ranks fourth nationwide for its Medicaid reimbursement rate to dentists. Stakeholders, a lawsuit, and the Foundation’s investment, policy research and analysis helped Connecticut meet the criteria for the grade.
